Rugalas # 2

This version of rugelach swaps the typical cream cheese for sour cream, which gives the dough a brighter tang and a slightly more elastic feel that makes rolling thin discs much easier. The egg yolk binds the dough without making it tough, while the long four-hour chill is what separates a flaky pastry from a sad, sticky one.

Dividing the dough into four balls before chilling is the trick to clean rolling. Each ball stays cold while you work the others, and you get four rounds of fresh, evenly thin pastry instead of one tired sheet.

The filling stays simple: sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts sprinkled across the dough. As each crescent rolls in from the wide edge to the point, the layers trap the spice between thin sheets that crisp into a shatter when baked.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t skip the four-hour chill. Warm dough sticks, tears, and bakes flat instead of layered.
• Roll on a lightly floured surface and keep your rolling pin floured too. Excess flour toughens the dough.
• Cut with a pizza wheel for clean wedges and roll firmly so the filling doesn’t escape.
• Bake on parchment paper since any leaking sugar will scorch directly on the pan.

Variations

• Use walnuts and pecans together for layered nuttiness.
• Brush the rolled rugelach with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar before baking for extra shine and crunch.
• Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the sugar mix or stir in mini chocolate chips for chocolate rugelach.